But Niccoi’s arrival at the Denver-based Chipotle appears to be having some immediate ramifications.

His March 5th take-over of the 2,400 unit restaurant chain has brought the quick ouster of Mark Crumpacker, who for the past nine years has headed marketing and strategy for Chipotle.

Crumpacker’s group was known for edgy campaigns, like hiring music legend Willie Nelson to perform Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ as the soundtrack to a short film sold on iTunes that depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable and Chipotle-like future.

But it was Crumpacker who especially seemed to have a tin ear in the aftermath of the 2015 outbreaks of foodborne disease that for a time crippled Chipotle. Also in the wake of the outbreaks, Crumpacker was named as a “repeat buyer” for a New York City cocaine-trafficking ring which provided delivery services to customers throughout Manhattan.

In 2016, Crumpacker was put on leave after being arrested on cocaine charges but he was allowed to return to work after completing a drug rehab program that resulted in all charges being dropped.

Crumpacker’s split with the company was disclosed in a March 14 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by Chipotle. He will enjoy a cash severance of 26 weeks at his base pay along with a post-employment of his health insurance benefits. At the time of the 2015 outbreaks, Crumpacker was taking down $4.3 million a year. The SEC filing also says he will have 12 months to exercise vested stock-only stock appreciation rights, rather than the standard 90 days.

Niccoi is the former CEO of Yum! Brands Taco Bell Division, and he is credited with turning around the 45,000 restaurant chain that operates in more than 135 countries. During Niccoi’s Taco Bell tenure, Crumpacker reportedly said that a “single fast-food burrito served by one of our (Chipotle’s) competitors” contains 85 ingredients.” The statement was interpreted by many as a knock against Taco Bell.

Niccoi has succeeded Chipotle founder Steve Ellis as CEO. Ellis, who was a school chum of Crumpacker, remains as chairman of Chipotle’s board of directors.

The 2015 outbreaks caused the Chipotle stock to take a deep dive and Crumpacker’s marketing and strategy group did not seem to know what to do about it. And three years later, the burrito chain has yet to recapture the magic it had before the outbreaks.

It was a string of back-to-back outbreaks that plagued Chipotle at locations throughout the country during the last half of 2015 that caused misfortune for its business and hammered its stock value. Those incidents included:

Three states — E. coli O26, began December 2015, declared over Feb. 1, five sickened people, source unknown, states involved are Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.

Boston — Norovirus, December 2015, 151 sickened.

The harsh public reaction Chipotle experienced was seen by some as self-inflicted because the company’s reaction to a major food safety crisis did not seem consistent with its own “Food with Integrity” motto.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/03/brian-niccoi-new-chipotle-ceo-sends-marketeer-crumpacker-packing/feed/0It’s getting harder to open those raw milk loopholeshttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/03/its-getting-harder-to-open-those-raw-milk-loopholes/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/03/its-getting-harder-to-open-those-raw-milk-loopholes/#respondThu, 15 Mar 2018 04:01:32 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=148954Continue Reading]]>Raw milk advocates have gained some ground in the last decade, going from 29 to 43 states that allow some way to sell milk without pasteurization. However, in only 12 states are retail sales of raw milk permitted, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. And 19 states ban retail sales outright.

But raw milk advocates have been successful opening up any number of loopholes, from herd shares to on-the-farm sales to permitting transactions at farmer’s market and exceptions for pet sales.

This legislative season’s main trend might be one of exhaustion with state lawmakers worn out on the subject, perhaps because they at least are satisfied with the status quo. The dangers of raw milk are well known, but the advocates persist.

This legislative season, raw milk bills in Iowa and Tennessee hit the rocks. Iowa has left its raw milk legislation parked in the House Local Government Committee for almost two months, and proposals in Tennessee went nowhere under pressure from mainstream dairy groups.

Iowa’s House File 2055 (HF2055) would have allowed consumers to buy raw or unpasteurized milk, but it appears to be dead, missing deadlines for bills to move along. Iowa’s session adjourns in mid-April.

In Tennessee, SB 1913 and HB 1963 would have permitted the direct sale of raw milk butter, while SB 2104 and HB 2229 would have exempted raw milk and dairy products sold from a home kitchen from licensure, inspection, and regulation. The General Assembly passed on both, effectively killing them for at least another year.

According to the NCSL, 46 states have adopted the federal Pasteurized Milk Ordinance or PMO. California, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania don’t use the PMO as the basis for their milk safety law.

NCSL says the federal government, through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), does not permit the sale of raw (unpasteurized milk) milk for human consumption and advises states not to allow the sale of raw milk.

“Since the FDA does not regulate raw milk, it can be sold only in the state where it was purchased and cannot be sold across state lines or internationally. It also forbids states from permitting the sale of products made from raw milk, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, butter and ice cream. Some hard cheeses, such as cheddar and Swiss, can be made from raw milk,” NCSL adds.

Again, according to NCSL, states can alter their raw milk policies in any one of three ways: passing statues conflicting with Section 9 of the PMO; adopting regulations conflicting with Section 9 of the PMO; or by administrative policy. The states, for example, might choose not to crack down on cow share programs.

There is one way around all of this–just say the raw milk is for your animals.

NCSL found that raw milk sales for animal consumption are at least potentially legal in all states but under commercial feed licensing laws. Michigan has the only state law expressly prohibits the sale of raw milk for animal consumption. “The variables are the states’ willingness to grant licenses to producers of raw milk for animal feed and how strictly state agencies would monitor licensees to make sure that raw milk sales did only go for animal consumption, NCSL says. “The PMO regulations do not apply to the sale of raw milk for animal feed.”

Healthy eating enthusiasts may want to reconsider their protein powder choices in light of a new study that shows 40 percent of 134 brands tested have elevated levels of heavy metals, with certified organic products twice as likely to contain heavy metals as non-organic powders.

The 2018 study by the Denver-based Clean Label Project used the independent analytical chemistry laboratory Ellipse Analytics to test the animal- and plant-based protein powders. Clean Label selected and purchased the powders from retail store shelves and from online sources.

In addition to heavy metals, the research project included testing for BPA, a known endocrine disruptor. Results showed 55 percent of powders tested had measurable levels of BPA. Of the 134 tested powders, 28 contained twice the regulatory limit of 3 micrograms of BPA. One contained more than 25 times the allowed level of BPA in just one serving.

The specific products tested in the Clean Label study are ranked the top sellers, according to statistics from Nielsen and the Amazon.com best-seller list. According to the research report released today, of the 134 products tested, 53 were found to have “substantially elevated” levels of the following heavy metals.

Lead

Mercury

Cadmium

Arsenic

BPA

In addition to finding that the products certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are twice as likely to contain high levels of heavy metals as non-organic protein powders, the study found other surprising statistics about plant-based protein powders.

75 percent had measurable levels of lead.

Each contained on average twice the amount of lead per serving as other products.

In addition to lead, the plant powders in several cases contained mercury, cadmium and arsenic above health-based guidelines.

Clean Label Project Director Jackie Bowen said the toxins found in the plant products could put people who follow vegetarian diets at heightened risk of health issues if they are regularly consuming the plant-based powders. The powders had, on average, twice the amount of lead per serving of other products.

The director of operations and quality at the testing laboratory Ellipse Analytics said there could be several explanations as to why the powders have excessive levels of heavy metals.

“This could be due to the locations where the protein powder manufacturers’ plant ingredients are sourced having contaminated soil. This is especially true in the United States where there may be a higher incidence of heavy metals in the soil of some regions.”

Good news coming out of the research was the finding that no egg-based protein powders tested contained lead.

The study data was analyzed by Clean Label Project’s Technical Advisory Board of statisticians, epidemiologists, food safety scientists and registered dietitians before being published. The study is in process of being peer-reviewed.

Study results on the nonprofit’s website are presented in a five-star rating system that names each product tested and shows how contaminated it is compared to other products in the same study. More than 40 of the products tested only received one star.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/heavy-metals-found-in-40-percent-of-protein-powders-tested/feed/0Raw milk test in Pennsylvania prompts Campylobacter warninghttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/raw-milk-test-in-pennsylvania-prompts-campylobacter-warning/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/raw-milk-test-in-pennsylvania-prompts-campylobacter-warning/#respondTue, 27 Feb 2018 05:01:32 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=148418Continue Reading]]>Pennsylvania officials warned consumers earlier this month that they should immediately discard all raw milk from Conoco View Dairy because it was contaminated with Campylobacter, which can cause serious infections and is killed by pasteurization.

As of Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which issued the warning Feb. 15, had not received any reports of confirmed Campylobacter infections in connection with the unpasteurized, raw milk from the Perry County dairy, said a department spokeswoman.

All of the implicated milk was labeled with a sell-by date of Feb. 16.

While it is unlikely people still have any of the unpasteurized milk in their homes, consumers should monitor themselves and children who drank the milk for symptoms of Campylobacter infection. It can take several days after exposure for symptoms to develop.

Symptoms usually include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. The diarrhea is often bloody and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Campylobacter infections are particularly dangerous for children, especially if they are younger than 5 years, according to the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

“In the years 2007 to 2011, 15 raw milk-related outbreaks were reported in Pennsylvania; 233 persons were confirmed with illness as a result of these outbreaks and 11 were hospitalized,” according to a report from the state health department.

“During this time, only one outbreak associated with pasteurized milk was reported; 16 persons with confirmed illness were identified.”

In the referenced raw milk outbreaks, 45 percent of the victims were less than 18 years old; 17 percent were younger 5, according to the Pennsylvania report.

“This is very important because children rely on adults for their food choices,” according to the state health department’s 2012 report.

Photo illustration

2012’s Campylobacter outbreakFollowing the string of outbreaks from 2007-2011, a four-state outbreak of Campylobacter infections was traced to a Pennsylvania raw milk dairy in 2012 — even though the interstate sale of raw milk is prohibited by federal law.

The state’s health department recorded 81 culture-confirmed victims, “plus many more ‘probable’ cases in persons whose illness was not confirmed by culture,” according to the department. “This was the largest raw milk outbreak in Pennsylvania in recent history.”

Less than half of the states allow sales of raw milk, with state statutes limiting sales only to herd-share owners. Pennsylvania is one of the few states that allow the retail sale of unpasteurized milk. However, the state health department’s website warns about the dangers of consuming raw milk, describing various bacteria and viruses often found in it.

States lawmakers expressed similar concern by requiring warning labels on raw milk sold in the state. Pennsylvania’s raw milk statute suggests the following warning label language:

“Raw milk has not been processed to remove pathogens that can cause illness. The consumption of raw milk may significantly increase the risk of foodborne illness in persons who consume it — particularly with respect to certain highly-susceptible populations such as preschool-age children, older adults, pregnant women, persons experiencing illness, and other people with weakened immune systems.”

The state health department’s raw milk report after the 2012 outbreak acknowledges that some people believe unpasteurized milk and products made with it have health benefits. But the Pennsylvania public health officials cautioned that there is not peer-reviewed, scientific research to support those claims.

“… the claims that raw milk helps improve certain illnesses and conditions are anecdotal and have not been borne out by scientific studies,” according to Pennsylvania’s report.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/raw-milk-test-in-pennsylvania-prompts-campylobacter-warning/feed/0Hawaii reports first confirmed rat lungworm case of 2018http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/hawaii-reports-first-confirmed-rat-lungworm-case-of-2018/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/hawaii-reports-first-confirmed-rat-lungworm-case-of-2018/#respondMon, 26 Feb 2018 05:01:25 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=148404Continue Reading]]>The Hawaii Department of Health has confirmed the first case of rat lungworm disease in the state this year in an adult resident of West Hawaii on Hawaii Island.

The individual became seriously ill earlier this month and is being treated at a hospital. Laboratory results confirmed evidence of the rat lungworm parasite in the person’s spinal fluid.

The state health department has not been able to determine the specific source of the infection, according to a public alert. The department is unable to provide any additional specific information about the victim.

“This is a reminder for everyone to take precautions and control snail, slug, and rat populations in and around properties, and especially home and school gardens and farms,” according to a statement from Aaron Ueno, Hawaii District Health Office administrator.

“We know that slugs, snails, and rats in all counties carry the parasite that can cause rat lungworm disease, and rain with wet conditions often brings more of these garden pests.”

In Hawaii, people become infected by eating raw or undercooked infected slugs or snails. The snails and slugs are often found in and on fresh produce. It is not uncommon for people to become infected from undetected snails or slugs in salads.

Slugs and snails eat rat feces and serve as intermediate hosts for the parasites. Since the parasite cannot mature or reproduce in humans, they eventually die, but can cause physical problems. These include eosinophilic meningitis and ocular Angiostrongylus.

In Hawaii, 80 percent of the land snails are carriers of the parasite.

The most common symptoms of infection include severe headaches and neck stiffness, but symptoms may vary widely among cases. The most serious cases experience neurological problems, pain, and severe disability.

In 2017, there were 17 laboratory-confirmed cases of rat lungworm disease statewide.

The public is urged to take the following precautions to prevent rat lungworm disease:

Inspect, wash and store produce in sealed containers, regardless of whether it came from a local retailer, farmer’s market, or backyard garden.

Wash All fruits and vegetables under running water, especially leafy greens, to remove any tiny slugs or snails.

Control snail, slug, and rat populations. Eliminate slugs, snails, and rats around properties, and especially around home gardens and farms.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/hawaii-reports-first-confirmed-rat-lungworm-case-of-2018/feed/0Advisory committee revises hepatitis A vaccine guidancehttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/advisory-committee-revises-hepatitis-a-vaccine-guidance/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/advisory-committee-revises-hepatitis-a-vaccine-guidance/#respondSat, 24 Feb 2018 05:04:09 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=148343Continue Reading]]>With a unanimous vote, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is recommending that anyone over the age of 12 months, who hasn’t been vaccinated for hepatitis A, should receive the vaccine after the fact if they are exposed to the highly contagious virus.

Photo illustration

Post-exposure immune globulin should be administered to unvaccinated adults aged 40 and older depending on their doctors’ risk assessments, according to the recommendation from the committee that advises federal agencies. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services appoints the committee members. They provide recommendations for the department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hepatitis A infections can be contracted in a variety of ways, including close personal contact with an infected person, sharing needles, and the consumption of contaminated food or beverages. The virus can survive in frozen food for long periods of time.

The committee considered two questions this past week regarding hepatitis A vaccines. One question regarded post-exposure hepatitis A vaccines for people 12 months and older. The other concerned hepatitis A vaccines in infants ages 6 to 11 months who are traveling outside of the U.S.

Both questions earned unanimous approval with 14-0 votes. Much of the committee’s discussion focused on the ongoing hepatitis A outbreak, including foodborne cases, in several states. More than 1,200 people have been infected, with almost 50 deaths reported in the current outbreak. The majority of infected people are homeless, substance abusers, or both. However, depending on the state, 20 percent to 30 percent of cases are neither homeless nor substance abusers.

The committee recommended that infants ages 6 to 11 months who are traveling internationally should receive a dose of hepatitis A vaccine. Committee members noted that immune globulin cannot be given with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The new guidance recommends that infants ages 6 to 11 months who are not traveling outside the U.S. should receive the two-dose series of MMR and hepatitis A vaccines at ages 12 months or older.

Foodborne threatFood and food handlers, servers and other foodservice workers can spread the hepatitis A virus.

In 2016 almost 150 people in nine states developed confirmed cases of hepatitis A infection traced to frozen strawberries from Egypt that were used in beverages served at Tropical Smoothie restaurants.

Also in 2016, a hepatitis A outbreak traced to frozen, imported scallops sickened 292 people, mostly in Hawaii. Two victims died.

The CDC reports there were more than 90 hepatitis outbreaks from 1998-2016 in the United States.

Advisory committee recommendations are not considered final until they are published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Picture this. You walk into the breakroom at work and instead of – or in addition to – the tired-looking ham/chicken/egg salad sandwiches and cans of chili, there’s a vending machine chock full of fresh romaine, kale, arugula, snow peas, fresh edamame, cherry tomatoes and more.

Meet Sally the Salad Robot.

Not unlike Jane and George Jetson’s robotic maid, Rosie, in the 1960s cartoon, Sally will serve you a customized, fresh and healthy salad instead of ramen noodles or days-old sandwiches.

Step up to the touch screen and pick from as many as 22 fresh ingredients at a time, plus salad dressing. Or, select from a number of preprogrammed salads. Sally will tell you how many calories and carbs you’ve selected before filling a bowl with lettuce, vegetables and toppings in less than a minute and a half.

The vending machine created by Redwood City, California-based Chowbotics ensures precise calorie counts and keeps ingredients fresh, sanitary and separate, according to the company’s product information.

So, it’s not quite time to have a Rosie – or a Sally – in your own home, but Chowbotics aims to automate repetitive tasks to increase productivity and enable creativity, both in and out of the kitchen, company officials said in a news release. Sally the Salad Robot is the company’s first product and is being shopped around in the Silicon Valley.

“It’s better than salad bar, and it’s safer because … all of the ingredients are contained within the robot so there’s no risk of cross contamination,” said Lib Riddiford, public relations consultant for af&co. restaurant and hospitality consultants.

No worry that someone will grab a handful of croutons without using the tongs or sneeze or cough onto the garbanzo beans or diced chicken.

“Another benefit is not overloading like you do with a salad bar,” Riddiford said. “There are calorie counts on the touch screen that interface for each ingredient you pick. So, if you’re trying to maintain a diet it’s nice to know that you’re walking away with a really healthy product. If you want to do a 500-calorie lunch you can easily do that with Sally.”

The robotic vending machines will be filled and maintained by whatever food provider a given company has, she said.

“And even though they might have a cooling component in a salad bar,” Riddiford added, “the food is still exposed to air. With Sally, the freshness is at a much higher level … and the risk of contamination is so much lower because it’s just one individual instead of exposing ingredients to customers.

“You can’t control what other people do (but) you can control food service workers in terms of washing their hands and wearing gloves.”

Chowbotics’ proprietary technology provides precise calorie counts and protects the integrity of ingredients, keeping them refrigerated, fresh, sanitary and separate and reducing the risk of foodborne illness, the company said.

That remains to be seen.

Trevor Suslow, an extension researcher at the University of California-Davis, said he heard talk of such technology at the Postharvest Unlimited Expo in Madrid this past October.

“They seem to generate a lot of curiosity and seem a nice addition for on-the-go convenience in healthy food choices,” he said.

That said, Suslow noted that the devil is in the details.

“Maintaining high standards of hygiene in pilot trials is certainly a plus, but achieving this in many point-of-purchase venues is a significant challenge as this still requires the diligence of the service employee or contractor,” Suslow said.

“At this time, we have no details upon which to assess the safety of these units, including temperature control, critical time-temperature exceedance limits and failsafe alerts, modern elements of hygienic design and full cleanability of multiple integral parts to deliver multi-component fresh foods and ingredients in a blending array, and intervals of deep cleaning to prevent biofilm establishment.

“Though exceptionally rare,” Suslow said, “inherent contamination of the raw materials and processed materials used to stock the units remain a concern for the industry and consumers.”

Sally’s developers believe they have addressed potential food safety problems. They say Sally is a safer option than salad bars, especially in higher-risk facilities such as schools, retirement homes and hospitals, the developers contend. Fast-casual restaurants, convenience stories, hotels and airports are other potential markets.

Future robots are planned to offer breakfast as well as Mexican and other ethnic foods.

Chowbotics has done Sally trials at Twitter in San Francisco, as well as at Uber and Google, Riddiford said.

“We’re looking to sell directly to the food service director at those companies, who will pick what ingredients to put in,” she said.

Sally retails for $30,000. Companies that buy her will determine the cost of an individual salad, Riddiford said. The salad vending machine has passed Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and NSF-25 safety and sanitation standards, the company said.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/coming-soon-to-your-lunchroom-sally-the-salad-robot/feed/0After the Secretary, USDA’s 4 most important jobs remain vacanthttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/after-the-secretary-usdas-4-most-important-jobs-remain-vacant/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/after-the-secretary-usdas-4-most-important-jobs-remain-vacant/#respondThu, 22 Feb 2018 05:01:37 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=148204Continue Reading]]>The United States of America is 400 days into President Donald J. Trump’s administration, yet four top USDA jobs remain vacant. The vacant positions aren’t what you call insignificant. After the Secretary of Agriculture, they are likely the most important jobs at USDA, especially when it comes to delivery of USDA programs. They include:

The Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. The job description — Runs the U.S. Forest Service with 40,000 employees and responsible for the administration of 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres.

The Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. The job description — Department’s chief scientist with oversight for USDA’s $700 million budget for research facilities and its support for more than 100 land-grant universities.

The Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. The job description — Distributes food assistance topping $100 billion to 78.4 million people and oversees nutrition and dietary programs. Food programs account for 71 percent of USDA’s budget.

The Under Secretary for Food Safety. The job description — Federal government’s top food safety official responsible for everything from world food standards to oversight of USDA’s $1 billion Food Safety and Inspection Service and leader for the 8,100 inspectors at more than 6,400 processing and slaughter establishments for meat, poultry and egg production in the U.S.

Top jobs going vacant in the federal government is due to a combination of factors. Senate Democrats have been slow in letting the president’s appointments come to floor votes and Trump is not sending them as many nominees as he could. He apparently thinks there is a benefit in not pushing too much through the meat grinder at once.

According to the Partnership for Public Service, there are about 1,200 presidential appointments that require U.S. Senate confirmation. In collaboration with the Washington Post, the Partnership is tracking “636 key positions requiring Senate confirmation” and posting the results online. So far, only 267 appointees are in place

Another 142 formal nominations are waiting for Senate action, and two additional nominations are waiting to be official. Including those four top USDA jobs, the White House has yet to nominate 225 of those “key” positions identified by the Partnership.

Four of the 13 USDA positions that require the Senate’s consent have won confirmation. They are Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue; Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky; Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Gregory Ibach; and Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney.

President Trump nominated four others to serve at USDA that are still waiting for Senate confirmation. They are General Counsel Stephen Alexander Vaden; Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Naomi D. Earp; Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations Kenneth Steven Barbic; and Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services William Northey.

Trump has nominated only one of the top four vacant jobs. He appointed retired Air Force Col. Samuel H. Clovis Jr. as Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics last July, but withdrew the nomination after about six months. Clovis was attacked by critics who said was not qualified to be USDA’s “chief scientist.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, has held up a vote on Northey over renewable fuels since last year. Cruz is using Northey to get the attention of Iowa’s GOP senators on the issue.

Trump named Northey and Vaden in 2017, but Earp and Barbic were only recently appointed. Earp is a former Chair and Vice Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under President George W. Bush. Barbic was senior director of federal government affairs for Western Growers, a produce group.

The fact that other federal departments are in the same boat does not make it any easier for Secretary Perdue at USDA. The department is being asked by Trump to return to budget levels roughly equal to what it had in 2015. Total outlays for 2019 are estimated at $140 billion.

Meanwhile, Senate and House Agricultural Committees are moving aggressively on the 2018 “Farm Bill” without much in the way of restraints under the new two-year budget agreement. USDA is collecting some criticism from conservative Governors and others about when the steep increase in food assistance programs will begin a decline. Those programs, including food stamps, still top a recession level $100 billion despite an improved economy.

Until he gets more Under Secretaries confirmed, Perdue is going to have to continue relying on USDA civil servants. Trump’s fiscal year 2019 budget, which begins Oct. 1, is protective toward food safety programs at USDA and the Food and Drug Administration. Leadership is another issue.

USDA is into its fifth year without an Under Secretary for Food Safety. The vacancy is one of the longest running for a major office. Civil servants are holding down temporary appointments to run both the office of the Under Secretary and as administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The law says the President “shall appoint” an Under Secretary for Food Safety subject to Senate confirmation.

There are rumors Trump is near making such an appointment, but those rumors are almost as old as the vacancy.

Hepatitis infection can cause a yellowing of the eyes and/or skin, which is referred to as jaundice. Photo illustration

An outbreak of hepatitis A has claimed another life in Michigan. Also, another restaurant worker has tested positive for the highly contagious virus, exposing an unknown number of people who ate at a Red Lobster in the past month.

The death toll in Michigan stands at 25 as of the state health department’s most recent update, which included information up to Feb. 14. The state reported 751 confirmed cases as of that date, with more than 80 percent having required hospitalization.

Most people infected in the multi-state outbreak, which is described as having begun in California although Michigan has been tracking cases just as long, have been homeless or substance abusers. However, depending on the state, one-fifth to one-third of victims have been neither homeless nor substance abusers.

The outbreak, which includes cases in California, Michigan, Kentucky, Utah, Nevada, New York, Arkansas and Oregon, has sickened more than 1,600 people and killed at least 46.

Hepatitis A can be spread through food and beverages that are contaminated during production or by infected people during food preparation or serving. Consequently, infected restaurant employees or other foodservice workers can expose other employees or customers — often without knowing it because people are contagious before symptoms develop.

Potential exposures at Red LobsterThe most recently reported restaurant worker in Michigan who tested positive for hepatitis A potentially exposed people who ate, drank or worked at the Red Lobster restaurant at 27760 Novi Road in Novi, MI, from Jan. 15 through Feb. 14.

It is past the window of opportunity for many unvaccinated people who were at the restaurant during the possible exposure period. The post-exposure hepatitis A treatment must be giving within two weeks of exposure or it is not effective.

Anyone who ate or drank anything from the implicated Red Lobster in Oakland County and has developed symptoms of hepatitis A infection should immediately seek medical attention, county health officials said in a public advisory.

“Vaccination can prevent the disease if given within 14 days after potential exposure,” said Kathy Forzley, director of health and human services for Oakland County. “If you have eaten at this location during these dates and have not been vaccinated for hepatitis A or have a sudden onset of any symptoms, contact your doctor.”

The county had a special vaccination clinic session yesterday and has another one scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at1010 E. West Maple Road in Walled Lake in the Easterseals office.

Most children in the United States have been receiving hepatitis A vaccinations since the preventive became a routine recommendation in 2006. Even though it has been available since 1996, the vast majority of adults have not been vaccinated.

Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by a virus. The virus is shed in feces and is most commonly spread from person to person by unclean hands contaminated with microscopic amounts feces. Symptoms of infection may include sudden abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, headache, dark urine, and/or vomiting often followed by yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Symptoms may appear from 14 to 50 days after exposure, but usually develop about one month after exposure to the virus, according to public health officials. Some people who are infected do not become sick, but they are contagious.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/michigan-posts-25th-hepatitis-a-death-restaurant-worker-sick/feed/0Nurses, doctors, others lineup against raw milk bill in Iowahttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/nurses-doctors-others-lineup-against-raw-milk-bill-in-iowa/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/nurses-doctors-others-lineup-against-raw-milk-bill-in-iowa/#respondThu, 15 Feb 2018 05:01:13 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=148043Continue Reading]]>Opposition is building against an Iowa bill that would allow dairy operations in the state to sell unpasteurized milk directly to consumers.

Since it survived an initial subcommittee review with a 2-to-1 vote, opponents of House File (HF) 2055 have been registering their declarations against the bill, which remains in the House Local Government Committee.

Led by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, opponents of the raw milk bill include:

Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa;

Iowa Public Health Association;

Iowa Academy of Pediatrics;

Iowa Board of Regents;

Iowa Medical Society;

Iowa Farm Bureau;

Iowa Grocery Industry Association;

Iowa Geothermal Association;

Iowa Veterinary Medical Association;

Iowa Association of Counties;

Iowa Institute for Cooperatives;

Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI);

Iowa Dairy Association; and

Iowa Environmental Health Association.

No organization has declared support for HF 2055. Opponents are united in the single goal of killing the bill in the committee. The committee has not yet scheduled any action on the bill.

The two subcommittee members who supported the raw milk bill were Rep. Greg T. Heartsill, R-Chariton, and Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton. Rep. Heartsill is the bill’s sponsor. Rep. Art Staed, D-Cedar Rapids, voted to kill the measure in the subcommittee.

HF 2055’s future is now in the hands of the 21-member House Local Government Committee. It, like the Iowa House of Representatives, is under GOP control. Heartsill might request the bill be re-assigned to the House Agriculture Committee.

The Iowa bill would permit dairies to sell raw milk directly to consumers. The unpasteurized milk would have to bear a warning label stating:

“This container holds raw milk not subject to state inspection or other public health regulations that require pasteurization and grading.”

The bill provide for fines ranging from $65 to $650 and up to 30 days in jail for violations of the proposed law. Misdemeanor charges would apply.

Opponents form a powerful coalition of both industry and public health interests concerned about the dangers of raw milk, including such pathogens as E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. Similiar alliances in other states have been successful in defeating efforts to legalize unpasteurized milk and other raw products made with it.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that raw milk is 800 times more likely to cause foodborne illness than pasteurized milk. “There are no health benefits from drinking raw milk that cannot be obtained from drinking pasteurized milk that is free of disease-causing bacteria,” according to the CDC.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/nurses-doctors-others-lineup-against-raw-milk-bill-in-iowa/feed/0Banned pesticides found in cactus pads could poison peoplehttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/banned-pesticides-found-in-cactus-pads-could-poison-people/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/banned-pesticides-found-in-cactus-pads-could-poison-people/#respondWed, 14 Feb 2018 19:58:20 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=148033Continue Reading]]>Dangerously high levels of banned pesticides in edible cactus from Mexico spurred California health officials to issue a public warning today urging people to throw out the product because it could cause acute poisoning.

The contaminated cactus pads may also have been distributed in other states.

Photo illustration

Washing or peeling the cactus pads, also known as nopales, is not effective and people should not try to salvage any of this contaminated produce, according to the warning this morning from the California Department of Public Health and the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR).

The cactus pads may also have been distributed in Oregon and Nevada. California officials have informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the situation.

“Routine surveillance samples collected by DPR inspectors found various pesticides, including dimethoate, omethoate, monocrotophos, and methidathion, at levels that pose a health risk to humans,” according to the public warning. “

“Both monocrotophos and methidathion have been banned for food use in the United States for several years.”

Symptoms of poisoning from the pesticides include sweating, headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, hypersalivation, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, the state’s top health official said in the public warning. Anyone who has eaten cactus pads from Mexico and developed such symptoms should immediately seek medical attention.

“Consumption of monocrotophos can lead to neurotoxicity and permanent nerve damage,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith.

The California pesticide regulation inspectors collected and tested samples of the cactus pads that were sold to consumers and wholesalers between Jan. 23-29.

California officials said they have located some of the implicated cactus pads, but not all of them. The cactus pads subject to the public warning are known to have been sold at the following locations:

Rancho San Miguel Markets, Madera;

La Monarca Market, Lower Lake;

FreshPoint Central California, Turlock;

Arteaga’s Food Center, Sacramento;

Stater Bros. Distribution Center, San Bernardino; and

S&L Wholesale Produce, San Francisco.

Brian Leahy, DPR director said in today’s warning that state officials are not aware of any illnesses to date. Anyone who bought the cactus pads from the listed locations recently should return them to the place of purchase or dispose of it in the garbage, he said.

“(The) DPR believes it is possible that some of the cactus pads may have been sold to other stores in California, Nevada, and Oregon. The tainted produce was packaged with the brand names ‘Mexpogroup Fresh Produce,’ ‘Aramburo,’ or ‘Los Tres Huastecos,’ ” according to the public warning.

The pesticide regulation department removed the cactus pads it could locate from store shelves and distribution centers. The department quarantined or destroyed the seized produce, the department reported.

Any person who sees any of the implicated cactus pads for sale in any place is encouraged to report it to the state health department’s toll-free complaint line at 800-495-3232.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/banned-pesticides-found-in-cactus-pads-could-poison-people/feed/0Listeria found in NY raw milk; state urges public to throw it outhttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/listeria-found-in-ny-raw-milk-state-urges-public-to-throw-it-out/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/listeria-found-in-ny-raw-milk-state-urges-public-to-throw-it-out/#respondWed, 07 Feb 2018 21:30:05 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=147836Continue Reading]]>New York officials again today warned the public to immediately dispose of unpasteurized Breese Hollow Dairy raw milk because of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The state has issued Listeria alerts for the dairy’s raw milk at least three other times since 2007.

The David Phippen Farm, which operates under the Breese Hollow name, suspended operations on Feb. 2, when state agriculture officials informed the owners that a routine test sample showed preliminary positive results for Listeria monocytogenes.

Further laboratory testing completed Feb. 6 confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the sample collected by the state inspector on Jan. 30.

As of 4:30 EST today no recalls had been posted by state or federal officials. The dairy does not appear to have a website.

“The producer is now prohibited from selling raw milk until subsequent sampling indicates the product is free from harmful bacteria,” according to the public health warning from New York Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball.

“The department recommends that any consumers who purchased raw milk from Breese Hollow Dairy immediately dispose of it and call the Department at 518-457-1772 if they have questions.”

As of today, no confirmed illnesses are known by the department to be associated with the Breese Hollow unpasteurized milk.

However, it can take as many as 70 days for symptoms of Listeria infection to develop. The infection, Listeriosis, can cause serious illness and sometimes death, especially in young children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Anyone who has consumed milk from the Breese Hollow Dairy in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. — or served it to their children or guests who have developed symptoms of Listeria infection should immediately seek medical attention. Specific tests are required to detect it, so people should tell their doctors about their possible exposure.

Also, people who have consumed any of the Breese Hollow raw milk should monitor themselves for at least two months for symptoms.

Symptoms can include flu-like symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, according to the agriculture commissioner’s statement. Listeriosis can cause also miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.

“It is important to note that raw milk does not provide the protection of pasteurization,” according to the public warning

“Pasteurization is a process that heats milk to a specific temperature for a period of time to kill the bacteria responsible for numerous illnesses and diseases such as Listeriosis, Salmonellosis, Campylobacteriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria and brucellosis.

“Pasteurization of milk is recognized internationally as an effective means of preventing outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, including listeriosis.”

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/listeria-found-in-ny-raw-milk-state-urges-public-to-throw-it-out/feed/0Hepatitis A exposures at New York restaurant, senior homehttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/hepatitis-a-exposures-at-new-york-restaurant-senior-home/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/hepatitis-a-exposures-at-new-york-restaurant-senior-home/#respondWed, 07 Feb 2018 05:00:27 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=147823Continue Reading]]>An employee at a restaurant and a senior living facility in Erie County, NY, who was infected with hepatitis A while working exposed hundreds of people to the highly contagious virus and there is very limited time for them to seek post-exposure vaccinations.

It is already past the treatment deadline for some patrons of Al-e-oops Restaurant in Lancaster and residents, their visitors and staff of Brookdale Senior Living in Williamsville. If not given within two weeks of exposure, the vaccination is not effective.

Erie County officials did not specify whether the strain of the virus isolated from the sick worker is the same that is responsible for a nationwide outbreak that has sickened more than 1,200 people, killing more than 40.

The exposure periods for the people who dined at or had carry-out from Al-e-oops are Jan. 20-23 and 27-30. For Brookdale residents and their guests, the exposure period was Jan. 16-31.

A free post-exposure vaccination clinic is scheduled today for Al-e-oops Restaurant customers according to statements during a Tuesday afternoon news conference with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein.

The public officials said residents, guests and staff of the Brookdale facility should contact management there for information about whether they should receive post-exposure treatment.

Anyone who was at the restaurant or senior living facility during the exposure periods and has developed symptoms of hepatitis A infection should immediately seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure.

Also, because it can take up to 50 days for symptoms to develop, anyone who was at either of the locations during the exposure periods should monitor themselves for symptoms in the coming weeks.

Symptoms can include fatigue, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, darkening of the urine, clay-colored stool, or yellowing of the eyes and skin. Some people who are infected do not develop symptoms.

People at highest risk of serious infections include the elderly, pregnant women and people with suppressed immune systems, such as cancer patients, organ transplant recipients or others with serious illnesses.

The free county vaccinations for Al-e-oops customers are available from 3-8 p.m. at the Bowmansville Volunteer Fire Association, Station No. 1, at 36 Main Street in Bowmansville. Only those who consumed food or beverages from Al-e-oops from Jan. 27-30 are eligible for the free vaccinations.

County officials ask that anyone who develops symptoms of hepatitis A to call the Erie County Department of Health at 716-858-2929. More information is available at the county website at www.erie.gov.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/hepatitis-a-exposures-at-new-york-restaurant-senior-home/feed/0UK regulators call for nationwide review of meat-cutting plantshttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/uk-regulators-call-for-nationwide-review-of-meat-cutting-plants/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/uk-regulators-call-for-nationwide-review-of-meat-cutting-plants/#respondTue, 06 Feb 2018 05:01:01 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=147770Continue Reading]]>Great Britain’s food regulators are calling for a nationwide review of all meat-cutting plants after the discovery of serious incidents at production facilities of two major suppliers, 2 Sisters Food Group and Russell Hume.

The announcement came just days after the Food Standards Agency (FSA) was criticized by a parliamentary committee for failing to take definitive action to improve standards following an undercover investigation last year by The Guardian and ITV. The Guardian reported the nationwide review on Feb. 1.

Further, the government has pledged to require closed-circuit television cameras to be installed in all meat cutting plants.

In the wake of the investigation, 2 Sisters, the country’s largest supplier of supermarket chicken, shut its West Bromwich chicken site for five weeks this past autumn for staff retraining.

In January, Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant chain and Wetherspoon pubs were among businesses caught up in a meat recall scandal at Russell Hume when FSA inspectors said they had found serious issues during a surprise visit to the company’s Birmingham premises on Jan. 12. Since then, meat production has been suspended at Russell Hume plants, the Guardian reports.

FSA Chairwoman Heather Hancock and Food Standards Scotland Chairman Ross Finnie issued a joint statement, saying: “In the last six months the FSA and FSS have faced two serious incidents involving major players in the meat sector. People rightly expect food businesses to keep to the rules, rules designed to keep consumers safe and to sustain public trust in food – and food businesses have a duty to follow the regulations.”

“In the light of these recent incidents,” the statement continued, “the FSA and FSS will be taking forward reviews of cutting plants and cold stores used for meat. Further details will be published later this month and the results will be fully available to the public.”

An investigation into meat processing factories was expected, The Guardian reported, but the scale of the problems that have emerged since September prompted regulators to expedite the launch.

Last year’s hearings into 2 Sisters by Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee were a direct response to The Guardian and ITV undercover footage from 2 Sister’s West Bromwich chicken plant, The Guardian reports. The footage showed poultry being dropped on the floor and returned to the production line, as well as an instance of labels recording the slaughter dates of birds being changed.

2 Sisters has denied the footage showed any food safety breaches and said it temporarily suspended production three days later because of process failures, adding that its “internal investigation has shown some isolated instances of non-compliance with our own quality management systems.”

Said a spokesman for 2 Sisters: “We welcome any further reviews the FSA would wish to carry out at all cutting facilities in the UK.”

The FSA said its investigation into Russell Hume includes examining the “extended use of ‘use by’ dates, and the food safety management system that the business has in place.” The regulator also launched its own, ongoing investigation into 2 Sisters.

“Our investigation into the major non-compliances we found at the Russell Hume plants in England and Scotland is intensifying,” said Jason Feeney, chief executive of the FSA.

“We have already stopped these plants producing meat products, have ensured the withdrawal and disposal of the products and now we are looking at the root cause of the incident and any culpability.”

Feeney said there is no indication people have gotten sick from eating meat supplied by Russell Hume.

The company did not respond to invitations from The Guardian to comment.

]]>http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/uk-regulators-call-for-nationwide-review-of-meat-cutting-plants/feed/0Virginia Republican’s raw milk bill on today’s hearing calendarhttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/virginia-republicans-raw-milk-bill-on-todays-hearing-calendar/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/02/virginia-republicans-raw-milk-bill-on-todays-hearing-calendar/#respondMon, 05 Feb 2018 06:24:59 +0000http://www.foodsafetynews.com/?p=147763Continue Reading]]>A committee hearing is set today in the Virginia legislature on a House bill that would clarify the state’s raw milk herd share law, according to the sponsor.

Republican Barry Knight of Virginia Beach introduced HB-825 on Jan. 9. A similar bill in the Virginia Senate, introduced by Republican Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg, died on Thursday when a 7-8 vote failed to advance it out of committee.

The state does not allow the sale of raw, or unpasteurized, milk. However, it does allow dairy farmers to sell shares in a cow or a herd to individuals. The individuals who own shares are allowed to receive raw milk, but they cannot sell or distribute it to others.

Knight’s bill that is on the hearing calendar today for the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources would require that herd share agreements are in writing. It would also require that dairy owners file the agreements with the state.

In addition, the Republican’s bill includes reporting requirements for anyone involved in a herd share agreement — or any physician — who becomes aware of an illness related to the consumption of raw milk. The illnesses would have to be reported to local health departments as well as the state’s agriculture commissioner.

The bill would mandate that illnesses be investigated. It would give state officials the right to have free access to any location relevant to such investigations.

Also, owners of shares would assume “joint liability associated with the milking herd and any milk produced by such herd and stored, or packaged, at the farm…” They would also be required to acknowledge “the inherent dangers of consuming unpasteurized milk that may contain bacteria, such as Brucella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli; that has not been pasteurized to remove bacteria; and that is particularly dangerous to children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immunity.”

Dairy operators would have to label all raw milk distributed to shareholders with the dairy’s name, address and contact information. The raw milk labels would also have to include a consumer advisory indicating the danger of consuming unpasteurized animal-derived foods that have not been processed to remove pathogens.

The Virginia Department of Health, as well as other local and state health departments across the country, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all warn against consuming unpasteurized milk or products made with it.